Reactions
by Cole224
Summary: Sequel to No Fear and Lessons. Mainly others points of views on Harry. Will start with the movie and progress into the wizarding world.
1. Chapter 1

This will probably have kind of short chapters. Not sure yet. This chapter goes through the Dark Knight movie. This story will mainly be from others points of view on Harry.

I don't own Harry Potter or Batman.

* * *

Jamie Jones was in a perfect position to witness everything, not that she wanted to be. She'd kept her head down, eyes shut when the shooting started, when the bus came crashing through the side of the building. She only opened them when it stopped and there was only one robber left.

She could see through the open back door of the school bus. She wasn't thinking, too terrified to but she was so surprised, shocked really, when someone else stepped out of the bus that, for a moment, she forgot her fear.

The child was small with dark hair that looked like it hadn't seen a brush in years. He wore dark clothes and couldn't have been much older than ten. Despite her fear for herself, she couldn't keep her eyes off him.

The child looked down at the bodies on the floor and giggled before he stepped over them. Jamie flinched at the sound. It was a horrifying sight, worse than anything she'd seen that day.

The boy hopped up on one of the desks. He swung his legs back and forth, watching the last of the bank robbers. The manager and the last guy were talking now and it took her a moment to realize that the boy was humming something as he watched. When his eyes strayed, swept the room, and met hers for just a second the look in them froze her faster than the grenade that had been placed in her hand had.

She kept her eyes on the boy as he eventually got up and hopped back into the bus. She only forgot about him when the bus pulled away and everybody started screaming…

* * *

_"There's more. There was someone else in the bank." _

As soon as he was alone, Bruce abandoned Batman. He'd seen the security footage of the bank robbery. The psychotic robber who called himself the Joker was not what had disturbed him. The man was no great threat…yet. However, the image of the child who had accompanied Joker had.

The picture from the cameras showed it. A child who couldn't have been much older than ten, if that. It made him nauseous and he considered changing his opinion. He'd been dealing with the mob for a while now but he'd never seen anything like this out of them.

Killing children was a horrendous crime that he had seen as well but this was different and turned his stomach. He had seen the child's eyes in the security footage. It had been a hell of a lot more disturbing than anything he'd ever seen.

* * *

Gordon sat across from the boy. The man who called himself the Joker was sitting in a cage and he was planning on going to see what he could get from the psychopath but first he wanted…needed to talk to this boy.

The boy, however, seemed to be ignoring him. He was swinging his legs in his chair, humming while he colored furiously on the paper in front of him. The requests for the items were the only words the child had spoken since they had caught Joker and the boy.

"Are you going to tell me your name at least?" The boy continued to ignore him and Gordon sighed. "This man that you have been…I assume living with. He's not a good guy. He's killed a lot of people…"

"He won't kill me," the boy finally spoke up slowly. His eyes flickered up and Gordon was once again startled by what he saw in them. "Killing people who aren't afraid isn't any fun." It sounded like a quote but there was conviction behind it, like he believed it too. Gordon recoiled and ran a hand over his face. He knew how psychotic Joker was but to corrupt a child this way…

"Listen, I'm going to try and help you, alright?" He said, thinking of his own son and he wondered where this boys parents were, if he had any.

"Going to send me away?" The boy asked. "I'm not crazy." He lifted his head and met Gordon's gaze head on. "I'm an artist."

* * *

"_This town deserves a better class of criminal and I'm gonna give it to them." _

"Get down!" He barked out at the boy who was sitting near the top of the mountain of cash. The boy pouted and slid down the side.

"But I like it," the boy said, rocking back and forth on his feet and staring up at Joker. The other men in the room were startled when the normally unstable man simply rolled his eyes at this before torching the pile of money.

"Like it?" Joker asked, watching the fire blaze. The boy grinned. There was something beautiful about fire, something captivating about watching a fire rage out of control. After a moment, though, he turned his gaze back to Joker and the mobster in front of him. If there was anything more interesting than the fire behind them, it would be this.

* * *

"What about the boy?" Batman asked the question of Gordon before he left the scene. They had caught the Joker but everything was still a mess and he needed to know this before he committed himself to being hunted down by the police to protect Harvey Dent's reputation.

"No sign of him. It looks like Joker left him out of this last bit of planning….or he could be dead." The statement was blunt but Batman nodded.

Even months later, when there was still no sign of the kid, when they couldn't get anything out of the Joker about who the kid was or if he was even still alive, Bruce still wondered. He'd probably wonder forever about the child with the green eyes that held the same psychotic light as the Joker's.


	2. Chapter 2

Albus Dumbledore had almost, not quite but almost, panicked when he'd figured out that Harry was not where he was supposed to be. He had even cursed himself for being careless. He would have known if something happened to Harry's aunt but he received no alarms when Vernon Dursley disappeared.

It didn't take long to find out that the man had gone missing, and that later his body had been found, while the Dursley's, along with Harry, had taken a trip to the United States. They had been in a city called Gotham when it happened and until Albus pressed her further; all that Petunia would say was that Harry had gone missing along with Vernon. It took some prodding for her to admit that they had abandoned Harry out in the streets many days before Vernon had vanished.

The hate that he had seen when he had delved briefly into Petunia Dursley's mind had startled him. The woman truly despised her nephew, going so far as to blame the boy for her husband's death. He had known when Minerva had made her objections years before that it would not be an ideal situation for Harry but the level of hate and the blatant abuse that had went on had still surprised him.

Albus' own guilt over the situation was what had him going to search for the boy himself. It was highly unusual for the headmaster to go and deliver a letter to a student but Harry Potter was no normal student and it was his fault that Harry had been left out on the streets of an American city alone.

It had not been hard to find the boy. What he found, however, had shocked him worse than anything he had found in Petunia Dursley's mind could have.

* * *

The room was not clean, really and the walls were covered with a variety of different colors. There was a radio sitting on a stand against the wall and it was blasting music that Albus vaguely recognized. A muggle band that had been popular some years ago. 

In the middle of the room, there was a table and the boy stood at it. He was bent over it. His back was turned and Albus couldn't tell yet what he was doing.

"You're early!" The boy suddenly exclaimed when Albus stepped closer to him. Harry did not turn to face him, too focused on what was in front of him.

"Harry…" Albus went to turn the music off. The boy didn't react so Albus walked closer and around the side of the table so that he could see what Harry was doing.

"I'm not finished yet," Harry said after a moment. He was…building something. Something that Albus did not recognize. His hands stilled and he stared down at the thing. It was a mess of different sorts of parts and a fine, powdery substance.

"Harry?" Albus reached over and put a hand on the boy's shoulder. That was when Harry finally looked up and met his gaze. Harry's green eyes where bright with a barely concealed mirth but that was not what caught his attention. There was something else there. Harry tilted his head and stared at him.

"You've come to take me away." It was more of a statement than a question. He turned back to the table. "I've…got something to do first. It's important."

"Alright. Then I'll have to go with you," Dumbledore conceded. Harry frowned and shook his head.

"That won't work." Harry reached over to one of the shelves on the wall and picked something up. He pulled something off of it and dropped it to the floor. Albus was barely aware of the smoke that started to fill the room before the world turned black. All because he was caught off guard by a child…

* * *

When Albus woke, he wasn't sure how long he had been out and the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Harry. The boy was bent, leaning over him with his hands on his knees. The boy grinned at him.

"I'm ready to go now."

"What did you do?" Albus sat up, his eyes turned hard. "Where did you go?" Harry giggled and his gaze flicked to the corner of the room. A television sat on a stand there. Albus had seen them before. He never quite understood the muggle world's fascination with them. How some could spend their lives staring at one of those screens.

This television was turned up enough that he could hear. The words "Special Report" were flashing across the screen and a woman was talking. In the corner, a video played of what looked like a building exploding.

"…It is still not known who set the attack on Arkham Asylum in motion and the authorities have not shared yet what the motives might be. However, the attack was focused in one area and it is confirmed that at least one person escaped during the chaos. It has not yet been confirmed who but from the early reports, the theory at this point is that one of Gotham's most notorious criminals has once again been set loose." The picture changed behind her from the explosion to a man with a painted face. The paint did not completely cover the scars underneath.

Albus sat stunned, listening to the list of horrendous crimes the man had committed. He listened as they commented on the fact that nobody even knew the man's real name. He turned his gaze on Harry as he stood and grabbed a hold of the boy's shoulders.

"You did this?" He asked with real fear, unable to help it.

"Did what?" The boy asked eyes wide and, for a moment, innocent. Albus frowned and before thinking, pushed his way into Harry's mind. What he found there left him reeling. He couldn't make sense of any of Harry's thoughts. It was more of a confusing jumble of images. Flashes of things. Vernon Dursley towering over him with a raised fist, a picture of a handprint made in blood, fire, a boy with dead eyes staring up at him, the man with the painted face he had seen on the news...Albus nearly stumbled when he pulled out of Harry's mind.

"What's happened to you?" He asked in horror. Harry only grinned again.

"I'm better now."

* * *

Albus took it upon himself to explain everything to Harry. He needed the boy and maybe Harry wasn't what he'd expected but that could be remedied somehow. Perhaps he could take Harry to a mind healer…

Harry showed no surprise when Albus told him that he was a wizard and performed a bit of magic as demonstration. It was extremely unsettling. Even more so when Harry only smiled when Albus told him that he would need to go back to his aunts while he was attending Hogwarts. Albus would have to make sure that Harry was not hurt under that roof again, of course but he needed Harry protected and it was the best protection he had. A well placed threat and a few more wards to alert him of any harm, any at all, that came to Harry would probably do it.

* * *

He'd lost Harry. Professor Dumbledore was going to kill him. Hagrid had been asked to show Harry around Diagon Alley and he had been exited about that. The kid had been very quiet, hadn't even asked any questions. Hagrid had only turned his back for a moment and he was gone…

* * *

Draco Malfoy watched with idle interest as the boy, who looked to be his own age, passed him. His father had set him outside the store in Knockturn alley to wait. He did not want to wait outside. He was getting his wand that day, though and he'd convince his father to buy him a broom, too. That he was sure of.

Draco sneered at the boy, who was _skipping_ down the street, dressed in muggle clothing and looked like he hadn't combed his hair in ages. Draco saw him searching the alley before they fell on a witch standing near the side of a building and he smiled. Draco was only eleven but he'd seen that sort of smile before. Only once, of course, when he'd seen his aunt, who was currently locked inside Azkaban. He'd known the woman was completely insane at the time…

"Excuse me," the boy said in a soft voice as he approached the woman.

"Yes?" Draco could see the look in her eyes as well. His father had sent her a warning look before disappearing into the shop.

"I was wondering if you could help me." The boy asked. The woman grinned. It wasn't a pretty sight. She gestured around the building.

"Of course, son. Why don't you follow me?" She started off. The boy didn't hesitate in skipping after her. Draco saw him reach into his pocket before they disappeared around the building. He saw him pull out something shiny and sharp.

Draco waited with some impatience. He fully expected only the woman to return. He was surprised, however, when, a few minutes later, the boy came skipping out of the alley. He was whistling to himself and twirling a wand in his hand, one Draco was pretty sure that he hadn't had before following that woman.

For a brief moment, as he passed, the boy turned his head towards Draco and met his gaze. Draco couldn't help but to shudder at what he saw in that boy's eyes.

* * *

Harry skipped along beside Hagrid, humming the tune to that song he'd heard in some movie. He'd thought the movie was rather fascinating. He'd asked Joker one time if that's what they did in the movie to the main character was what they did in Arkham when you got caught and sent there.

He'd liked dressing up as the guy last Halloween and dancing on the desk tops of the bank that Joker had decided to rob at the time, belting out the tune. _Unoriginal, _Joker had said but wasn't that the whole point of Halloween?

He twirled his new wand, the one he had gotten at the shop that Hagrid had taken him too. The bird didn't like him too much, though. He kept the other wand he had gotten in his pocket. He'd always had backups, after all. His knives were still there too.

He thought he was going to like this world.

* * *

The movie mentioned in this chapter is A Clockwork Orange. Um, if you haven't seen it…well, I don't know if you should. It's kind of…disturbing.


	3. Chapter 3

The poem that Harry recites, that is in italics, is taken from Batman, the 1989 movie. Jack Nicholson played Joker in that movie and, seeing as how Heath Ledgers version was very different, I've taken some of Harry personality from Nicholson's version. His version was a lot more childish, I guess is the right word, than Heath Ledgers.

"That's bad for you, you know?" Petunia Dursley scowled at her nephew when the words were said. She was not a happy woman. In the two years since Vernon had died, her life had gone downhill fast.

She'd always viewed smoking as a disgusting habit but that had been before Vernon had died and left her alone to deal with all the wretched people in the world. And now…now she had to house this boy again. The threats placed on her from Albus Dumbledore were the only things keeping her from strangling the boy there and then.

Harry hadn't said a word since he'd been dropped off several hours before but she could tell he was different. The nine year old she remembered was timid and shy. This child was grinning at her with something shining in his eyes that she couldn't place.

"Shut up, boy," she said with a glare. She didn't want to hear him. The boy shrugged, still grinning.

"Kay, kay." He started up the stairs.

"Where do you think you're going?" He turned to her and whatever she had seen in his eyes before she finally recognized.

"I'll be taking one of the rooms upstairs," he stated calmly. He tilted his head and looked around the room, opened his mouth to say something and then closed it before the words got out. Instead, he began to hum to himself as he bounded up the stairs. Petunia watched him leave and she couldn't help the shudder that ran through her at the look in the child's eyes.

* * *

Harry took off the small pack he had brought with him from Gotham and smiled when he dumped the contents on his new bed. He didn't like this room or the house and had decided that he wouldn't be living there after all.

He picked up the small packet. It was his own formula. The wizards wouldn't know. He grinned.

* * *

"Watch where you're going, freak!" Dudley's exclamation came when Harry walked out of his room that day. He shoved Harry into the wall and Harry's eyes narrowed as he started towards the stairs. He waited until the pig was at the top of the stairs before casting the spell with the stolen wand he'd obtained in Knockturn alley. He cast another just as Dudley hit the floor, just after he heard the snap of the boy's now broken leg so that no one would hear the screams coming from his open mouth.

Harry giggled and went down the stairs. He jumped from the third step down right on Dudley's midsection before wandering into the kitchen. Petunia was sitting in the chair, paralyzed. He'd slipped her his own concoction just thirty minutes earlier.

"Howdy, Aunt Petunia. Did you enjoy my drink?" He leaned over, bracing his hands on her knees and reached for the package of cigarettes on the table. "I'm really sorry but I've decided that I just can't live here anymore." He lit one of the cigarettes; cast a spell to make sure it wouldn't go out and threw it idly into the garbage can filled with paper to the right. He'd been studying up on just the right spells to make this work. They would all think that Petunia had set the fire that killed both her and her son.

By the time he'd went into the other room and dragged Dudley into the kitchen the fire had started and was licking its way up the wall.

"I really must say goodbye now," he said to his aunt.

He grinned at the horror in his aunts eyes, made sure that Dudley would not be crawling his way out and started toward the door, bowing his way out.

"_I'm only laughing on the outside _

_My smile is just skin deep _

_If you could see inside I'm really crying _

_You might join me for a weep."_

_

* * *

_

Harry watched the fire burn with interest. It would be minutes before the fire department would show up and then the wizards. He idly snapped the stolen wand and threw it away. He wasn't interested in being found out yet.

Arkham Asylum was no big fear of his. Gotham was so inept sometimes. If it wasn't, they wouldn't have needed Batman to do their dirty work for them. Getting caught in Gotham would have been a minor inconvenience.

This world was different and he wanted to enjoy himself a bit before he outed himself the way that Joker had in Gotham.

Hm…he had a few more weeks before he had to be at school. There were…things he needed to do before then.

* * *

"Why did you not contact us, Harry?"

Albus Dumbledore watched the child warily. The boy was giving his statement to the aurors, explaining that he'd been down the street at the park when the fire had started at his aunt's house.

"I didn't know how," the boy said, looking innocently up at the aurors that surrounded him. They had found in Diagon Alley a week after the fire that had killed both Petunia and Dudley. "It took me a while to find the alley again. All my school stuff burned in the fire." The boy looked up at them with tears in his eyes. "Even the owl that Hagrid gave me."

Albus eyed the boy and once again, unable to resist the urge, pushed his way into the boy's mind. He got no more than he had the last time. The child's mind was nothing more than a confusing jumble of images and thoughts that he couldn't hold onto. He couldn't find a trace of proof that Harry might be lying.

"Alright, Harry." Albus stepped forward and sighed. "I think that it has been decided that the safest place for you will in the inn at Diagon Alley. You can stay there for the remainder of the week and we will decide what to do about next summer at a later date."

"Alright," the boy said with an unconcerned shrug, his attention drifting automatically although Albus was beginning to believe that was an act as well.

* * *

Harry stared at the platform with a grin. The giant had dropped him off here. He glanced around at all the children saying goodbye to their families. He felt absolutely no remorse for the fact that he had no family of his own to say goodbye to. He had said his own goodbye to Joker just a day before he had let the wizards find him.

He smiled as he thought of the week he had spent after leaving his relatives house. These people were all going to be in for a surprise.


	4. Chapter 4

"_Do you mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is full_." Ron didn't really wait for an answer before walking into the compartment and sitting across from the boy. The boy turned to him and met his gaze. There was something about his eyes…

"You have to wait, you know?" The boy asked. He was swinging his legs back and forth and grinning. "You didn't wait."

"Er, right." Ron frowned at him. He shook his head. "I'm Ron Weasley. What's your name?"

"I don't have one yet," the boy said, tilting his head. "Not yet. It's still too early. Too early for me. In a few years…"

"Right," Ron repeated, a little bewildered and starting to regret his decision to come inside this compartment. The boy seemed exited after a moment and pulled his Hogwarts letter out of his pocket.

"The letter said I was eleven," he said with a nod, passing it over to Ron. Ron glanced at it and his jaw dropped at the name printed there.

"You're Harry Potter!" The boy leaned forward. His smile disappeared and he snatched the letter from Ron's hands.

"I told you already." He didn't explain what he meant by that, he simply glared down at the letter a moment before shrugging and letting it drop to the floor.

"Okay. I think I might go try and find my brothers…" Ron started to get up. Harry reached out and grabbed his arm. The grin on his face when Ron looked over at him was disturbing.

"What's the matter? You don't want to be my friend?" Ron heard the boy giggling as he fled the compartment.

Xxxxxxxxx

Hermione huffed as she made her escape inside the nearest compartment, which was thankfully almost empty except for one boy. She brightened when she saw that he was reading a book, head ducked down so that she couldn't see his face.

"Do you mind if I stay here a moment?" She asked, sitting down before he could answer. "Really, they're acting like-" She cut off when the boy lifted his head and met her gaze. There was something strange about his eyes…

"Nobody waits," he said with a shake of his head. He turned the book sideways and tilted his head. "Do you think I'd read better like this?"

"Do…do you have a problem reading?" She asked a little hesitantly. He grinned brightly at her.

"Did you know there's a potion that can boil you from the inside out?" That was when Hermione saw the name of the book he was reading. It was a potions book but not one she'd ever seen before and she was sure that it would never be on a school list, just from the front cover.

"Are you sure you're allowed to have that?" She asked with a frown. "Where did you get it? You could get in trouble."

Before he could answer, the compartment door opened for three boys. The one in front was blonde and pale. The other two towered over him.

"I hear Harry Potter is here," the blonde said.

"That's me," the boy Hermione had been talking too said. He turned his gaze on the blonde, the grin on his face decidedly less childish. The blonde paled even further and his eyes widened. He faltered a moment but seemed to get up the courage to speak again.

"My names Draco Malfoy." He held out a hand. Harry stared at it a moment before lifting his gaze back up to Draco Malfoy's face.

"If we're going to be friends…" He lifted his book. "Think I can try out some of my new potions on you?" Malfoy glanced at the book and from the look on his face, Hermione was pretty sure that he recognized it. He dropped his arm and backed up.

"That's alright," he said quickly before turning around and leaving the compartment. Hermione turned to stare at the dark haired boy in shock.

"You're Harry Potter?" She asked incredulously. She'd read about Harry Potter. True, she hadn't grown up in the wizarding world but still…she was not stupid. His words to Draco Malfoy…he'd been threatening the boy. And the look in his eyes…

"Excuse me?" Another boy showed up a second later. "Have you seen a toad by any chance?"

"No. But I'll help you find it," Hermione said immediately, jumping from her seat. She turned back to look at Harry, who had gone back to reading his book before leaving the compartment as fast as she could.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Severus Snape could not help it when his gaze automatically honed in on the small form of Harry Potter in the crowd of first years that followed Minerva into the great hall. The boy's hair was longer than James Potter would ever dream to grow his but it was obvious that this was James' son.

The boy was rocking back and forth on his heels as Minerva talked and the sorting hat sang its song. He leaned close to a red headed boy next to him, who had to be another Weasley, and whispered something that caused the red head to pale and edge away.

Severus frowned at this display and turned his gaze briefly to Draco. The blonde was eyeing Harry Potter warily and keeping his distance as well.

Severus turned his gaze back on Potter and Potter seemed to feel it because he looked up and stared right at him. The boy grinned at him but there was nothing innocent about it.

Severus had seen eyes like that before. He'd seen them on men who had spent years in Azkaban or years under the service of the Dark Lord. Severus could not help but to make the trip into the boy's mind. He learned nothing from the confusing mess of jumbled images other than the fact that the golden boy that everyone was expecting would not be what they received.

"Potter, Harry!" Severus leaned forward with everyone else when Minerva called the name and the Potter skipped up to the stool.

I know this is short. That's mostly because I haven't updated in a while and because I still haven't figured out which house I'm going to put him in.


	5. Chapter 5

_Well, well. Now this is unexpected. _

The voice sounded in Harry's head as soon as the hat was placed there. Harry frowned. That was a new voice. He shrugged and swung his legs on the stool, waiting to see if the new voice would speak again.

_I am not a part of your mind, child. Did you not listen to my song? Or your teacher….oh, no. I can see that you did not, did you? _

_Wizards are very strange. _Harry answered the hat with a hum.

_Yes, yes. Well, now. Let's see what we can find…oh, my. I see that you have been very busy in the last few years…you will be difficult to sort…hm, I wonder if Dumbledore realizes any of this. _Harry frowned at the hat's words.

_They're blind. _Harry giggled quietly. _All of them. I'm gonna open their eyes. _The hat seemed to ignore him for the moment.

_Let's see. Hufflepuff? You are not loyal to anyone that I see. Not that it would be expected of someone who spent years with someone who I would suspect could frighten Voldemort. _

Harry hummed a tune, ignoring this hat as it spoke.

_Ravenclaw? I do not see you caring so much about your studies…and I do not think you are too terribly brave…simply completely unafraid. Although you do seem to be a bit on the…spontaneous side. Slytherin? You do not seem to be able to formulate a scheme…_

The sorting hat of Hogwarts was in a dilemma. Harry Potter's mind was chaotic and hard to read. The boy was completely mad, that was certain but it wasn't as if the hat hadn't encountered children who were before. Usually they held some trait that helped with the sorting.

It did not bother the hat so much that the boy was obviously out of his mind and that he would probably do some damage to the school and its teachers before he left. That wasn't the hat's problem and it did not concern it. What did was the fact that it was having great trouble in sorting the child.

The hat ruled out Slytherin first. The boy had been taught to act on a whim, to give in to every childish and destructive urge that overtook him at any given moment. The fact that Dumbledore did not know about the full extent of the child's crimes was proof that he could hold things back but it was not enough.

Ravenclaw was the second one ruled out. The child had no care for learning anything that did not benefit him. He wanted to know certain things, like what spell did the most damage, and disregarded the rest.

Gryffindor as well. The boy was not brave at all. Bravery was facing your fears. This child had no fears to face. He was not afraid to die and he was not afraid of getting found out. He preferred not to get caught yet but he was not afraid of it.

And Hufflepuff? The boy was not loyal to anyone, really, except maybe a psychotic muggle.

The boy seemed to sense the dilemma. _Where do they expect? _

_Gryffindor, _the hat answered without hesitation. The boys mind started working and the hat knew he was grinning. For a moment, it reassessed the boy's ability to formulate a scheme.

_Well, then. We shouldn't disappoint, should we? _

The hat mentally shrugged. It was as good as any. There were other children to get to. They couldn't have Harry Potter sitting there forever…

_Very well. _

Xxxxxxxxx

"Gryffindor!"

Dumbledore let out a relieved breath as Harry skipped over to the celebrating table. Perhaps his apprehension about Harry was premature. He'd been worried Harry would be sorted into another house.

But if he was put into Gryffindor, maybe he wasn't so lost to Dumbledore's cause.

Xxxxxxxxx

Harry sat down at the table. He ignored the cheering and the fact that Hermione was staring at him warily.

He scanned the teachers and stopped when he caught the eyes of the black haired, pale one. He frowned in annoyance when pain flared in his head.

"Hm…" He rubbed the scar on his forehead absently and looked to the two men talking there.

"You alright there?" An older boy with red hair that matched three other boys sitting close by.

"Oh, yes." Harry grinned down at his plate when food appeared there. "I'm better than that."

Xxxxxxxxx

Harry pressed his ear to the door. Whatever was behind it sounded large. He had already managed to unlock the door but hadn't opened it yet.

_"These people…so easily rattled…" _That little voice sounded in his head, the one he could only associate with Joker. That one urging him to do something.

It was his first night in the school, after all. It deserved celebration. The warning that the old man had given about the third floor had practically been an invitation. The first lesson Joker had taught him was a disregard for the rules.

Harry considered a moment before peaking inside the door. His eyes lit up at what he found. He turned, however, when he heard something behind him.

A slow smile spread across his face at the sight of the small animal and he pulled out the camera he'd stolen from one of the children in his room. "Here kitty, kitty."

Xxxxxxxxxx

Argus Filch scowled when he found the door to the third floor corridor open. Children were playing where they weren't supposed to again.

His scowl turned into a grin, however, when he thought about catching them. Maybe Dumbledore would let him show them what, exactly, was behind that one particular door.

He stopped short and then sprinted inside when he heard the howling of Mrs. Norris. The door near the end of the corridor was wide open and he could plainly see the three headed dog…and what it was ripping apart.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Harry slipped out of the corridor unnoticed. He shrugged. People really needed to learn to mind their business.

He studied the door a moment, tilted his head, and pulled out Ron Weasley's wand. It would do for this.

It was…close to morning. Students would be getting up soon…

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

"It killed Mrs. Norris! It has to die!"

Albus pressed his fingers against his forehead. Argus had been yelling since he'd burst into the office. This…was a disaster. How had the cat gotten into the corridor?

"One of those filthy little brats must have done this!" Argus yelled.

"I highly doubt a child here would do something like that. But we will see," he said calmly. He got up and Argus followed him out.

They heard the screaming as they got out into the halls and managed to cut Fluffy off, who had somehow managed to get out of the third floor corridor, before the giant three headed dog killed the first year children who had just come out of their dormitories for breakfast.

Xxxxxxxxx

Harry hummed a little as he placed the two moving pictures into an envelope. On the envelope was a drawing of a laughing clown that had been charmed to move as well. He sent it off with a smile.


	6. Chapter 6

This chapter is, so far, probably the main reason this fic is rated M. Just a warning.

Albus pressed fingers into his temples in an attempt to alleviate the headache that had been building there. Argus was distraught and furious and he was not the only one. The word had spread to parents about the incident with Fluffy. Some of the parents were inclined to believe that the story was nothing more than their child's imagination there had simply been too many witnesses. One or two children making up a story like it was believable. But there had been more than one or two children to witness the incident.

He was now getting threats from parents, many of which were talking about pulling their children from Hogwarts altogether.

He had gotten a letter from the ministry also when they found out, questioning his ability to run the school and the wisdom of keeping such a monster in a place filled with children. They were also demanding he at least attempt to contain the incident by having Fluffy put down, which only served in leaving him with a distraught Hagrid as well.

He had not expected this incident. He knew, of course, exactly where Voldemort was. He expected Voldemort to try and get past Fluffy…not to release the beast on the children. It did remove one obstacle to the stone but it also risked the school being closed, which could have happened if Fluffy had harmed any of the children. Then Voldemort would not have the access to the school and the teachers to find out about their traps that he needed.

It didn't make sense.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Minerva sighed tiredly as Ron Weasley came sprinting into her class just on time. He slowed, shot her a sheepish glance before looking for a place to sit. She frowned when he stopped in his tracks and paled. There was only one seat left and he was staring at the boy that occupied the table.

"If you would sit down, Mr. Weasley. I would like to begin class." The reprimand was clear in her voice but Ron still walked slowly over to the table and sat down hesitantly next to Harry Potter.

Harry turned a grin on the boy and Minerva's frown deepened when it only served to make Ron more nervous and he scooted his seat as far away from Harry as possible. Minerva turned her attention to Harry. She couldn't see his eyes but the smile seemed perfectly innocent.

She shook herself and turned to her lesson. Albus had warned her that Harry wasn't going to be what they expected but he followed along with her instructions the same as the other students and did not complain.

She wouldn't have seen what had shaken Albus so badly if it wasn't for the other students, in particular Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy, and Hermione Granger. The three of them seemed to almost be afraid of Harry and while Harry did nothing unusual during the class, all three of them seemed to keep a wary eye on him the entire time.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Quirrell remembered the stutter, took the opportunity to look over Harry Potter a little more closely than the other students on his first roll call. The boy stared right at him and he resisted the urge to shiver the same way he did when his master spoke to him.

Quirrell had seen true evil before. He'd been inside the head of it. He was closer to it than anyone on the planet. Only people who had been so close to it would understand. There was evil dancing in Harry Potter's green eyes and in his mind when Quirrell used the knowledge his master had given him and pushed his way into Potter's mind.

Oh, but this was a different sort of evil, a different sort of madness. He could tell that. This was going to get…interesting.

His master, along with the rest of the wizarding world, had been expecting the Gryffindor with a heart of gold. The boy who would stand up and fight against them no matter what. The child who would be Albus Dumbledore's right hand.

This…was not that child. The war just got a lot more interesting.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ron barely paid attention to the homework he was supposed to be finishing. Something was usually distracting him from it. This time it was the strange boy sitting across the common room. Their first school week wasn't over yet but Ron had already taken to avoiding the boy whenever he could.

Ron had been looking forward to meeting Harry Potter at first and then when he'd met the boy, he'd had brief plans to make friends with the boy. After all, it was Harry Potter and Harry Potter would surely be in Gryffindor.

Then he'd talked to the boy. Harry wasn't just weird. Ron wasn't sure about the look in Harry's eyes. He'd never seen something like it before but there was something in him screaming to stay away.

Dean and Seamus had taken to making fun of Harry behind his back. Harry was weird and didn't seem to want to be their friend so that was their response but Ron didn't do the same. He never made fun of Harry and, while he avoided Harry as much as he could, he was never mean to the boy when he couldn't.

There was something about Harry Potter that scared Ron as much as those stories of Voldemort his parents had told had and if there was one thing that his parents taught him with those stories, it was that you don't draw the attention of someone that scared you like that.

It was why he followed example and never spoke Voldemort's name aloud and why he never joined Seamus and Dean when they made fun of Harry.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Save for a few more attempts at reading the boy's mind, Severus Snape ignored the Potter child during his first lesson. What he had seen in the boy during the opening feast had made that decision for him.

He wanted to observe the boy. The boy followed instructions. The students around him seemed to be keeping their distance but outwardly, at least to anybody else, he seemed normal enough.

Severus was not a normal man, however. He had spent years in the presence of Voldemort, in the presence of witches like Bellatrix Lestrange. This child had that look in his eyes and Severus couldn't see how Dumbledore could possibly think he could turn this child into his own personal savior.

The thing was that the more Severus saw of the child the more he was convinced that, if Dumbledore was right and Potter was the only one able to defeat Voldemort, they were all screwed.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Harry grinned when one of the school owls dropped the package on his plate. He was beginning to get a little bored with the act. He looked inside at the powdery substance there. Green, of course. There was a card there, with one single line as a message.

_Put a little fear in their hearts…_

Harry tilted his head and looked down the table, considered who he should test it out on. Then he heard the snickering of two boys that slept in the same room as him.

Harry grinned. It wouldn't be too hard to drop some of it in their drinks.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ron let out a sigh of relief when he made it back to the dorms. He'd managed to avoid Harry for the entirety of their first weekend. He made it up to the rooms and found Neville standing in the doorway, eyes wide.

"What?" He asked and stared out at the room. Seamus was crouched in the middle of the room, hands clamped over his ears.

"Seamus?" Ron asked a little hesitantly. He and Neville went deeper into the room.

"She's here! She's here!" Seamus yelled. He clawed at his own ears and Ron stared, horrified.

"Go get a teacher!" He shouted, turning briefly to a frozen Neville. "Go!" He pushed Neville back in the direction of the door, got him moving.

Ron was still frozen when Seamus face started to bleed from clawing at it.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Harry grinned as he heard the noises coming from down by the lake. Nobody else was around. Nobody else but him and the boy that had run, panicked outside. Dean was backing closer to the lake, staring at the ground.

Harry wondered idly what Dean's greatest fear was and then decided he didn't care.

"Dean," Harry called brightly, dragging out his name. He grabbed a hold of Dean's shoulders when the boy stood. "Aw, not having a good day are we?"

"Potter?" Dean stared at him desperately. "You have to help me." He gripped Harry's shirt.

"Oh, I came here to help you." He pulled one of Dean's hands from his shirt and placed the knife he'd been carrying in it. Then he put his hands on the sides of Dean's face. "You should fight…"

Harry stepped back far enough that when Dean started to slash wildly at the air around him that he wouldn't hit Harry. He stepped back even farther when Dean stared horrified at himself and, trying to get at whatever he thought was on him, he turned the knife on himself.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What has happened to him, Poppy?" Albus asked, staring down at the boy. Seamus had been sedated, had to be and his face had been healed but he had been screaming rather loudly and had done considerable damage to himself by the time Minerva had made it to the Gryffindor dorm.

"I…I don't know," Poppy said in frustration. "I can't find any trace of a spell or any potion that I know of…"

Albus pressed fingers into his temples. This was going to be rather bad for them when it got out. The ministry was already questioning his position at Hogwarts. This would only escalate it.

Albus sighed and prayed that nothing else would happen.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Harry rolled Dean into the water with the tip of his shoe. The knife was still clutched in the boy's hand and Harry had been careful to stay back during the show, to keep the blood off him.

Harry watched the boy sink before turning and heading back towards the school, whistling.


	7. Chapter 7

I've been going through this story and wanted to finish it. So, here goes. This is a very, very short chapter but I am trying to get back into this fic.

_Hogwarts School Shut down. _

_For the foreseeable future, and after the terrible tragedy that occurred, it seems that Hogwarts School has been closed. Minister of Magic, Cornelious Fudge gave notice of this himself earlier in the week. _

_The tragedy occurred just several days prior to the announcement. The details are still unclear but it seems that several explosions occurred. As a result several children and one professor were killed and many others were injured(Names and pictures at the bottom of this page). _

_It is believed that Albus Dumbledore has a suspect for these crimes but he has refused as of yet to voice his suspicions to the public. _

_This, of course has only succeeded in turning the wizarding public even more against the former headmaster, who has been ostracized by many since the tragedy for failing to keep his school safe…_

Severus Snape closed the paper with a scowl on his face. "You know who did this."

"We do not know for sure," Albus denied once again.

"Albus, open your eyes. I know you need the boy and I know why but you will have to do without him. We have eyewitnesses."

"Children who were caught in the blast-"

"And saw the boy."

"Yes, I know." He sighed. He'd had to destroy the stone, abandon his plan for Harry. Quirrell had disappeared during the destruction. Albus placed fingers on his forehead, in the moment feeling every bit of his age.

Xxxxxxxxx

"Mom?" Ron called hesitantly when he came into the kitchen. His mother had been washing the same pan for the past fifteen minutes by hand.

"Yes, Ron?"

Ron chewed his lip but lost his nerve after a second and turned to run upstairs. The house was unnaturally quiet. No loud noises coming from the twins room, everyone was quiet. Percy's painfully so.

Ron glanced at the paper sitting on his table and he felt the anger. He knew who had done this. He knew who'd succeeded in shutting down the school. He knew who'd killed his older brother along with many other students.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Quirrell tried his best to be silent as he made his way through Knockturn Alley. His master was not happy with him of the moment. The stone had been destroyed and Hogwarts had been shut down.

Somebody had set muggle devices off in the school. Too many had died for them to keep the school going.

Quirrell stopped suddenly when he heard the laughter and pulled out his wand. He turned but saw no one. Then the ropes came, snaking out and wrapping themselves around his feet, tripping him. His wand flew from his hand at a yelled spell and Quirrell found himself on his back on the ground. He tried to roll, to find his wand but ropes wound themselves around his wrists as well.

He heard the laughter clearer then and a figure appeared. Little Harry Potter walked calmly up to the downed man, twirling his wand.

"Hello." Harry gave Quirrell a bright smile. "I know what you are," he sang. "I've been learning this neat little rope spell just in case I found you."

"Potter-"

"Uh uh," the boy cut him off. "I know he can hear me, can't he? And I just wanted to let him know that I've found my playground."

"What?" Quirrell struggled against the ropes and against the anger that radiated from his master.

"There comes a day when a boy's gotta go out on his own, right? Joker just loves Gotham and his fight with the big black bat." Harry's grin widened. "Me? I think I like it here."

"Potter!"

Harry ignored the hissing voice of Voldemort coming from the back of Quirrell's head. He waved at Quirrell and started away, humming as he went.

Quirrell felt it start, felt the power being separated from him and knew he was about to die before Voldemort ripped himself from Quirrell's body.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Harry turned just in time to see what was left of Voldemort racing towards him. The stinging pain in his forehead he'd been ignoring up until that point heightened for just a moment and then was gone with Voldemort.

Harry tilted his head and watched the thing leave. "Hm." After a moment, he shrugged and skipped towards the exit of the alley. He still had a few lessons to teach.


	8. Chapter 8

I know this one's short too, sorry. I went back and changed something in the last chapter. I had a moment and seemed to have forgotten that Ginny is a year younger than Harry when I wrote part of that chapter. No idea how I pulled that one since she is such a big part of the books…Sorry about that, guys.

_Memorial Service Held Near Hogwarts_

_A memorial service will be held Friday for the individuals who were killed in the explosions that occurred at Hogwarts. The nine children and one professor that died will be honored there._

_This event marks the largest tragedy that has occurred since the destruction of He Who Must Not Be Named._

_Among the tragedies, there has also come a report that Harry Potter has vanished. It seems that former headmaster Albus Dumbledore was reluctant to share this information. Theories abound now amongst the wizarding public that perhaps what remains of He Who Must Not Be Named followers were the ones to attack Hogwarts in an effort to find Harry Potter…_

Ron Weasley scoffed and threw the paper on his desk. He was angry. Angry that Dumbledore hadn't told anyone the truth. Nobody had attacked to find Potter.

"I'm guessing you don't think that's right," a voice said from the doorway. Ron turned to see the twins, wearing identical expressions of anger. Although the usual expression on the twins faces were that of humor Ron wasn't surprised. After all, no matter how much they had teased Percy, they had also turned out to be fiercely protective of their family.

"No, I don't think its right."

Xxxxxxxxxx

Harry held a book up to his face as he swung upside down from his legs from a bar. He dropped the book after a moment. The TV in the corner was playing a cartoon, a more recent one that had been created after Batman had been exonerated from the murder suspicious lobbed at him after he and Joker played their first game.

Harry giggled and raised his arms up. "Da na na na, na na na na Batman!" He sang along.

The man in the middle of the room, working on his next game, ignored him. Harry picked up the paper again and a pout formed on his face. He was disappointed. If they weren't stupid, they were blind or weak.

He'd at least hoped for a little challenge in Voldemort, who had supposedly had killed his parents and started him on the road that eventually led to standing in a abandoned building with a mass murderer who liked to paint his face and dress in purple. However, the dark wizard wasn't even a whole person anymore. Just a leech.

Harry sighed and jumped up on the other end of the table Joker was standing at, crossing his legs and watching the man.

"We're not happy?" Joker asked after a moment.

"Not yet," Harry answered.

"Who's fault is that?" Joker finally looked up. A grin formed on his face, stretching his scars and forming the face that had given the entire population of Gotham pause on more than one occasion.

Harry knew it was an offer. He was one hundred percent positive that if one of the cops blew his head off right in front of Joker that Joker would not even blink. He was also sure that if he took that offer that Joker would burn down the entire wizarding world if he asked.

"No one. I've still got things to do," Harry finally answered. He wanted to do it himself. He wanted to burn down the wizarding world himself. "You've got to learn before you teach…"

Joker grabbed up his stuff. "Coming?" He asked.

Harry grinned back at him and jumped to his feet. A distraction was in order. He had come all the way back to Gotham for this after all.

Xxxxxxxxxx

There were still no noises coming from Fred and George Weasley's room. The door was closed and they were inside. Fred and George stood close together and spoke in serious tones, which contrary to popular belief they were capable of.

"Think it's true?" Fred asked his brother.

"If it is…" George did not finish but Fred nodded anyway.

"They don't know," Fred said. The wizarding world wouldn't believe it, anyway. In that moment, they _were_ thinking the same thing. Somebody had messed with their family, their brother and only they were allowed to do that.

"We'll end it," George said finally. The identical grins that broke out on their faces held no humor and would have given even the death eaters pause.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Harry walked calmly into the shop in Knockturn Alley. The man behind the counter seemed shady enough. Harry strode over to him and dropped the bag he'd been carrying right in front of the man. The man looked up and raised an eyebrow when he looked in the bag and saw the galleons there. Harry did not care if he was overpaying. Money meant little to him. He rarely needed it and Joker had tought him to appreciate the…_cheaper _things in life. There were things, however, that Joker could not teach him.

He stared up at the man. "I need a new teacher."

Yes, Fred and George will be a part of this story. Some people asked me if they were going to join Harry but…as unrealistic and out of character as this story is I thought it'd be a little too much to turn Fred and George into murderers too.


	9. Chapter 9

I know the Fred and George thing was kind of weird but there were people asking me to put them in this story and this is the only way I could see putting them in here.

"Why did you ask me here, Minerva. Your message sounded urgent." Albus was sitting across from the former Hogwarts professor in the small restaurant. "You felt the need for privacy as well," he pointed out, glancing briefly around the muggle establishment.

"I needed to talk to you…about Harry Potter," Minerva revealed. She kept her voice low and her tone fierce.

"We are still looking for him, Minerva-"

"This is not about his disappearance. This is about a letter I received from two of my students about the events that happened just two months ago." Minerva leaned closer. "In this letter, they claim to know the culprit behind the explosions and they are sure that it was not Death Eaters or even a grown wizard."

A frown formed on Albus' face. "Minerva, no child could orchestrate what happened. No child would."

"Are you sure? I have been a teacher for a very long time, Albus. I care for the children in my care and I know that you want to believe the best in everyone but Albus…I need to know. The letter I received was corroborated by more than one."

Albus was silent for several moments, studying the seriousness of her voice and her eyes. Finally, he brought out the muggle paper he had bought and passed it over to her.

"What is this?" Minerva asked.

"A muggle paper from a city called Gotham in America."

Minerva glanced briefly at the picture that accompanied the article. The man in the picture was smiling at the camera. She had only ever seen that sort of smile come from Voldemort's most loyal supporters. His face was painted and she could see the scars on his face, that stretched with his smile.

"'The Joker at Large Once Again,'" Minerva read the headline aloud. "'Residents of Gotham once again have reason to fear for their lives as an accused mass murderer escapes yet again. The man who calls him The Joker, real name unknown, has reportedly escaped from the high security wing of Arkham Asylum.

"'Authorities have refused to comment on the circumstances surrounding the escape but it is believed by many that he may have had outside help.

"'Joker has been held responsible for the deaths of several dozen Gotham citizens and many police officers."'

"What does this have to do with Harry Potter?" She asked finally, looking up from the paper.

Albus sighed and he seemed to be aging before her eyes. In fact, she had seen it when she had first come in. "From what I gathered from Harry's aunt, several years ago they took a trip to this city, Gotham, and Harry was…separated from them. I believe that is when…this man found him. I do not know why he wasn't killed but it is not relevant at this point. What matters is that Harry has apparently been keeping company with this man for several years now." Albus hesitated briefly. "I also believe that the outside help came from Harry."

Albus watched as his words sank in, as Minerva's eyes turned cold. "So, against my advice, you left him with those muggles and this happened?" She didn't raise her voice but she did get her anger across.

"It was not my intention-"

"Oh, of course not," Minerva interrupted him. "I should have done something. I should have taken him from that place myself. Now-" Minerva cut herself off this time and put a hand over her mouth. "Albus…you would have been better off sending him to live with Bellatrix Lestrange in Azkaban!"

"He can be redeemed, Minerva. I simply need to find him."

"Redeemed? He murdered ten people, Albus! And who knows how many crimes he has committed while under the care of this psychopath!" She threw the paper at him. "You are to blame for this. You've helped a monster corrupt an innocent child!" She stood.

"Minerva. Please sit back down. I did not mean for this to happen and I can fix this. We will still need Harry. Voldemort-"

"Voldemort?" Minerva was so horrified by the situation she forgot about the habit of not saying the name. "He is gone, Albus and you have turned the boy that destroyed him into a monster."

"He is not gone completely," Albus admitted. "Harry is the only one who can destroy him completely."

"It doesn't matter. You cannot propose to send a monster to kill one." Minerva looked away from him. "He is only a child but he has to answer for what he has done…and so do you." She didn't wait for an answer before walking away.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Fred and George Weasley were not the only ones angry. The families of nine other children and one professor. They were saying the same thing in their homes. Most were sure that it was the same thing it had been ten years ago.

The older ones, they had been there during the war with Voldemort. They knew what it was like to fear for their families lives. They'd thought it was over, of course. Over with little Harry Potter…

Xxxxxxxxxx

Little Harry Potter danced around the secluded little hideout in Gotham City, the paper clutched in one hand, humming a bright, happy song. He didn't stop dancing when the door opened and Joker came inside.

Joker paid no attention to the boy. He idly wiped the blood on his hands on his shirt and walked over to the table in the middle of the room.

Harry passed by him again and slapped the paper down in front of him. "Look!" He said excitedly. "I got my own lynch mob," he sang the words happily. He tilted his head at the bloody knife. "Did you win?"

"The game hasn't started yet," Joker said, getting up.

"Is this one going to end in Arkham Asylum?" Harry asked in an innocent tone of voice. Joker leapt forward suddenly and grabbed the back of Harry's neck, brandishing the bloody knife just an inch away from Harry's eye. He watched the blade, unafraid, and raised an eyebrow.

"It might," Joker said finally. He laughed and released Harry although he did not step away. "Want to go see some real artwork?"

"Can I create some of my own?" Harry asked excitedly.

"Maybe." Joker grabbed his shirt, pulling him towards the door.

Xxxxxxxxx

"Amelia. It is good to see you again," Minerva said. She was unable to smile when the other woman let her into her house and there was no smile on Amelia's face either. It was no surprise after what had happened.

"I meant to say…I am truly sorry…about Susan."

"Thank you," Amelia answered stiffly. "From your message, I believe you did not come here to pass on condolences."

Minerva nodded. Right to the point. "I came to tell you. I know who caused this tragedy."


	10. Chapter 10

I know you're not supposed to post authors notes as chapters and I will delete this chapter in a bit but I just wanted to let you guys know why I haven't updated.

I've had a tremendous amount of trouble getting this story out. I've gone months without updating this on more than one occasion because of that. I'm not entirely happy with certain aspects of it and I just can't see the end of it either.

I really loved the idea behind it, which was why I wrote this as well as the two others and I hate giving up on it which is why I haven't simply deleted it yet. But, seriously, it took me almost a year and a half just to get the nine chapters I have out.

I am very sorry about this but I'm not deleting the story. I might rewrite it. I'm not sure yet. Again, I'm really sorry.


	11. Chapter 11

I would like to let everyone know that I am in the process of rewriting this story. Someone asked me to let them know like this if I ever did, so I am. I am very sorry once again that it has taken me so very long. The first chapter of the rewrite should be out later tonight.


End file.
